There was a time in my life…sometime during college…where I tried to shrink everything.
I’d buy the smallest things I could find, assess shrink-ability, and after a small panic attack (OMG, if I wash this, I can’t return it!), snipped the tags. After washing and drying the bejezus out of them, I’d do a little happy dance if they shrank down to size, or sadly toss them in the giveaway pile if they didn’t.
My life hasn’t been very exciting recently, so I figured a few laundry induced panic attacks might be kind of fun. I pulled a few items out of my closet that weren’t quite up to fitting snuff, and went on a shrinking rampage. Eek!
Disclaimer: Shrink clothing at your own risk! I am not a clothing shrinking expert. This is only my experience. Results may vary.
The first victim of my cruelty…this J.Crew cashmere cardigan:
| How I shrank it: | Wash: | Cold water on delicate cycle |
| Dry: | Medium heat, checking periodically |
Success! This cardigan shrank up nicely around the torso for a slimmer fit, shrank a little bit in length, and shrank in sleeve length. The final result is much more fitted and flattering. I ended up letting this one dry fully in the drier.
Measurements after shrinking:
Feeling victorious after this shrinking success, I charged full steam ahead to my next victim, the J.Crew Merino Chiffon-Placket Cardigan:
| How I shrank it: | Wash: | Cold water in wash bag on delicate cycle |
| Dry: | Medium heat, checking periodically |
Holy smokes! I meant to check on this one periodically while it dried, but by the first time I checked, it was already fully dry & shrunk! The weave on this sweater was much looser than the cashmere cardigan, so it shrank way more. Everything shrank, the overall length, sleeve length, sleeve width and the width around the torso. This went from a baggy saggy fit, to a super fitted, shrunken fit. Much better than before, but I wish it hadn’t shrunk so short. I’ll be a little more careful with the Weathered Wood color.
Look at those measurement differences!
Then, I got really adventurous, and popped the LOFT Equestrian Lean Trousers into the wash:
| How I shrank it: | Wash: | Cold water on delicate cycle |
| Dry: | High heat until fully dry |
Compare this with the fit off the rack in this post…and you can see it took up quite a bit. The waist now fits perfectly, and the thighs and legs are much more fitted. The length also took up enough so that I only need to roll the cuff once, instead of twice.
Funnily, the waist did not shrink. The rise shrank, so the waist fits me better because now it sits at a lower, and wider, part of my hips. Weird huh?
And that is how I spent my weekend. Exciting huh? ;)
Be sure to read Vicky’s post on how she shrank her cashmere sweater.
Do you shrink your clothing for a better fit? Do you have any success or horror stories?
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